Little Red Riding Hood
by JackThRabbit
Summary: A simple walk in the woods turns into something deadly and she doesn't know it until it's too late


I had everything once, I held it all in my hands and for the breif moment, I knew what life was supposed to be like. On the other side of the coin, I also know pain, I know the burning searing pain of anger over things lost, I know what it is to have everything and in less time it takes a butterfly to flap his wings, I had nothing. I look over to the garden to see my mother smiling and laughing with my father as they shared their last cup of tea, I saw the clear crystal lake laughing at the banks where my siblings laughed happily at the ducks waddling to the lake where later that eve the banks would be red and the lake running along babbling with blood spilling from it. And my Henry, dear Lord my Henry. I must stifle my cries for now because to understand the pain you must first understand the story and to understand the story we must go back in time a bit to before the pond, before the castles and mansions, before my wonderful siblings and long before my beloved Henery.

"Wait a moment my darling, let us have a bit of a rest," My mother called to my father, I was along for the ride tossing and turning within her stomach as she pranced along the path to my grandmothers.

"If we are any later your mother will have nothing but screams for us at the door." My father teased laying down a large grey wolf's fur.

"We coule magically show up at her doorstep now and she would have nothing but screams waiting for us," My mother teased back sitting fown rubbing her swollen stomach. My father kneeled down in the sticks with a soft smile on his face as he looked his small wife over,

"Well then we had best not dwadle here for too long," My fahter replied kissing her on her slightly damp forehad. He set a small brown bag down in front of her and watched her smile grow.

"You think of everything," She smiled taking the sweet roll out of the bag and taking a bite.

"I do what I can my love," He said handing her a wineskin full of fresh water from the lake near our house. He circled around my mother whispering to himself,

"What is it?" My mother asked softly not moving a single unnessacery muscle.

"There is a wolf near by," My father replied,

"Can we out run it?" She asked rising to her feet,

"No," He said with a strong steady voice,

"Can we leave a false trail?"

"That's what I'm doing now," My father replied waiving his hand and watching as the path they left in the woods moved from one spot to another, leaving their trail coveredin dust and leaves. "They know we left," My mother gripped my fathers arm and kissed her forehead once more, "We must hurry to your mothers, we will be safe there,"

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" A shrill cry answered them as they entered into the main sitting room of the mansion.

"I had to sit a moment, mother, don't fret, we're here now," My own mother replied shrugging off her coat and handing it off to a servant in an over the top wig and blue shaded outfit. "Thank you," She said handing off her varous items to him. My father in turn made the same movments as my mother had and polietly thanked the butler who moved from the sitting room to a back room where coats are kept.

"Well where are your things?" My grandmother asked dotting her face with a handkerchief,

"Everything we need is right here," My father replied soflty kissing my mother's hands.

"Oh that can't be true!" My grandmother shouted putting her hand to her breast with the handkerchief waiving wildly in her clutch as she completed her jerky and somewhat dramatic movements,

"Of course it is, my darling," My grandfather moved in the room dressed in his military dress uniform, complete with badges and medals lightly clicking together as he moved around the room. "We didn't need much when we first met and now look at us," He motioned his arm to his outfit and made a snort sound with his nose, "Can't even go down to the sitting room without our sunday best on," He chuckled as his wife fussed about his medals being crooked.

"Hello father," My mother said happily smiling, he looked at her and a twinkle entered his eyes and made his war hardened face soften.

"Hello my wonderful girl, " He went to her and kissed her on both cheeks and handed her a small white box, "Turkish delights," He replied smiling happily as my mother made a feindish smile and went to the kitchens with the box held tightly in her hands. "Used to do that as a small child too," He chuckled turning to my father, "Were you followed?" He asked lowering his tone below the wailing sounds of my grandmother,

"No ser, but they do know we left," My father whispered leaning in, "HE knows we left, I was able to cover our tracks and get here as quickly as possible,"

"Good man," My grandfather nodded and cleared his throat, "Were you able to bring it?" My father gave a curt nod and a ear blistering cry rang out and both men turned to see my grandmother wailing, "My dear," He walked over and took her hands in his and smiled softly, "Are one of your headaches coming on?" He asked polietly rubbing her hands, she nodded and sniffled like a child would, "Let us get some tea on and we can sit and visit a bit before we all turn in for the night, eh?" My grandmother nodded her head and sighed deeply. My grandfaher waved his hand to one of the girls standing by the kitchen door and she went off to prepare the tea for an evening by the fire. My grandfather walked to the other room and brought back a small purple vial, "Here you are my love," He handed it over to my granmother and touched his hand to her cheek, "Take care and don't have too much,"

"Just enough to ease the pain," She said nodding her head putting a drop on her tounge and handed the vial back and slowly closed her eyes.

"There we are," My grandfather nodded and left the room returning right before the small girl brought a tray of teas and cakes and finger sandwiches. She set it down on the coffee table and bowed returning to her position by the door to the kitchen. My grandfather sat down, medals jingling as he did,

"What was that?" My mother asked my grandfather as she sat down softly next to him wiping any trace of the white candy powder.

"Just muttering," He pointed at my grandmother and shook his head. The night progressed on, light conversation about the coming days and the things that had passed and plans for the future. My mother gave a loud yawn and squeeze my fathers leg, each party gave a good night and went to their respective rooms. Not a single person was prepared for their pleasent dreams to be shattered by a wail of pain, my mother wasn't armed for the screams that assulted her ears, or upon opening the door my father hadn't readied himself for a battle to begin and starting out on the loosing side.

"O gods above!" My grandmother wailed to anyone within shouting distance but no one came for her, she wasn't ready for the wolf that entered the room or the man it had turned into.

"We will take what is ours, do not think you can keep us out!" The mans shape turned back into that of a dire wolf and he made his way off into the night back to the moonlight that made his change possible. My grandmother fell out from under herself and held a small knife in her hands while my father kept my mother out of the room where the creature had stood. There was a moment of pure silence, where no one, save the dead could hear the mutter that left my grandmothers lips, my father grabbed my mothers ears and pushed her to the floor, she reached up and in turn covered his as a single silver light left my granfathers body and went up into the sky and out the window. For the next few hours nothing could be heard but the wailing of my grandmother as she pleaded for mercy from a god who never seemed to hear her.


End file.
